Comcast Sportsnet is doing a special two-part series on Freddy Adu down in training camp this week.. Chick Hernandez will conduct a two-part interview that will stretch over two days (Wed and Thu).. The air times are at 6:30 and 10 pm on both days.. This won't be a dedicated half hour show, it's merely a part of the normal SportsNight show that airs nightly..
Personally, I'm upset that CONCACAF is spending so much time covering Freddy and ignoring the rest of the team.
You're probably reffering to Comcast, in which you are absolutely right.. However, you know and I know that Freddy is the deal here and will be for some time.. In a perverse way, I think all the attention he is getting will actually help certain players on this team who have for the most part flown under the radar.. I think players like Eskandarian and Quaranta have a real opportunity ahead of them to quietly put together a solid season.. Having most of the PR directed at Freddy (and why wouldn't it be? He's only been the #1 soccer story in MLS's history) will afford others the opportunity to step up.. Conversely though, this could get ugly for Freddy.. I think most of us expect very little from him but with all this exposure he is getting from people who normally wouldn't give a rats ass about soccer, the expectations could be monumental very early on in his career.. We all know he is going to be a very very special player.. It's going to take time but the media (the bandwagon media, not the one's who have been with United since Day 1) wants instant satisfaction.. The immediate success of LeBron James actually hurts Freddy right now.. I'd feel a lot better about Freddy had James at least struggled a little bit but he obviously is ready to play at the highest level..
I think you're right about the Freddy hype actually helping those other players that have had a lot of the pressure on their plates the last few season. With them being out of the lime-light, they should be able to focus a little clearer without the added pressure.
Hammer, nail, head. George Solomon is an idiot! On page 2 he opines in the "No Answers, Some Questions" section about Adu's non-inclusion on the Olympic team. While not ugly for Freddy, I think questions like this from the media will be ugly for Soccer in America in general. Thx, Jay!
I'm not sure he's an idiot, but in the thread on Wash Post coverage, I noted that it seems odd that he doesn't even read the press in his own paper. If he did, he would have been able to answer his own question. Unless his point was to try and put US soccer in a bad light. Kind of makes you wonder.
I just saw the repeat on CSN. Other than Chick Hernandez it was a very well produced piece (stick to the no-hair). It was good to see that it wasn't just Chick and Freddy. They did interviews with Benny and Nellie and even had some footage featuring an odd celebration from Earnie Stewart. It's a pretty good piece especially because I haven't gotten to see what the training looks like down there. Kudos to Comcast.
Yeah I just caught it too. That clip of him motoring thru four defenders still brings some chills and a
I just saw part two and it was just as good as the first. The interviews this time included Olsen, Nellie, Nowak, Petke, and of course Freddy. They talked about what it was like signing a big deal with MLS and then the Freddy tour after that. Interesting point made at the end however. Both Sage Steele and whoever the shmuck next to her was, both admitted that they were getting very excited to see what this kid could do. That got me to thinking, they've never seen Freddy play. The entire nation is in the dark about this kid. With LeBron James, we were able to see a few high school games, but unless you are really looking hard, no one has seen him. This could be a blessing or a curse. The curiosity factor could be unbearable for the nation especially with "60 Minutes" and God knows how many other specials will be running on him. Everyone could end up building him up to something he isn't. But then I thought of myself and how I did that before I saw Freddy for the first time. Needless to say, I was still amazed by the kid. Overall, a very well done 2-part piece, Chick stick to the shick, and this is only helping to build the hype.
One more thing, they showed Freddy doing some moves for a camera man while he was wearing our road whites. B-E-A-U-tiful!
I saw it as well. I thought this one balanced the fervor of the good stuff about Freddy with the potential pitfalls that could lie ahead. Petke in particular had some very intelligent things to say about the situation. He said that it was sort of a shame the way he's been hyped as the savior of American soccer because, in some respects, the only way for him to go is down. He did say that if he keeps the attitude that he's demonstrating currently in practice he will be alright, but he's worried about how hard it's going to be for Freddy. Good report, and as mellon said, the talking heads were all giddy with anticipation.
Anybody think they could open up the upper level for the opener? If the lower bowl sells out quickly, I wouldn't be shocked if it happened.
If there is enough demand, they would be fools to deny 20K+ people of a ticket. Find a way to staff the stadium.
I'm kind of torn between opening it if the crowd is big enough and keeping it closed to help generate season ticket sales. How many of the newbies that come to opening day are just going to be there because of the Freddy factor? And will they come back? If you can't get in it'll generate a good buzz about planning ahead and keeping the lower bowl full.